SASKATOON -- Tourism Saskatoon is working on helping the local food industry come back strong from COVID-19.

The main course could be serving up culinary experiences.

“To increase visitation to our city, we have to increase the critical mass of experiences that we have to offer. So, the more things that we have to do, the more opportunity we have to inspire visitation to our city,” said Stephanie Clovechok, vice president and director of destination innovation at Tourism Saskatoon.

It’s part of a national workshop series led by the Tourism Industry Association of Canada.

The goal is to support entrepreneurs in rural and secondary markets.

Tourism Saskatchewan will be working with Tourism Saskatoon to co-host two workshops in mid-August in partnership with the Culinary Tourism Alliance and Twenty31 Consulting.

Tourism Saskatoon said the workshops will provide industry partners, small and medium tourism operators and other tourism organizations across the country with ways to develop strategies to maintain their businesses.

"There's going to be some incredible experiences that come out of these workshops, things like brewery tours or guided food tours or a sunset dinner on the open prairie ... those are all things that people from around the world are so excited to experience here in Saskatoon,” Clovecok said.

Trevor Benson with the Culinary Tourism Alliance added, “We absolutely see food as a conduit through which to explore and experience culture so by making experiences more multi-sensory, what you’re doing is creating memories.”

It’s an initiative local restaurant owner Dale MacKay said he supports as it will help smaller businesses think about the tourism industry at large.

“I think the people coming in from outside the province want to eat local more than the local people because they want to experience what Saskatoon or Saskatchewan has to offer,” he said.

“I think people are always super happy and surprised when they get here of what great restaurants and food culture we have.”

The workshop series will also help local businesses develop winter and off-season plans to help attract visitors to the city throughout the year.

"How can we in a couple of years make it that destination that everyone needs to see in November and March just as it is in August,” said Greg Klassen with Twenty31 Consulting.

Tourism Saskatoon said the goal is to start by inspiring people who live locally to come out and support local businesses.