CANTON -- The North Country region's hidden gems of tourism and recreation are the focus of a new online hospitality and customer service workshop at SUNY Canton.

The college is partnering with the 1,000 Islands and Adirondack Regional Tourism Development councils, the Ogdensburg Bridge and Port Authority and I Love New York to create a free tourism sales support program specifically designed for tourism workers.

The first session is slated to begin Monday, June 20.

Depending on demand, there will be numerous workshops available throughout the summer.

Workshop sessions are self-paced. Participants can successfully complete the program in just a few hours or spread out the activities over the course of a week so they can accommodate work schedules.

The initial goal of this program is to certify 200 tourism staff across the region to better engage with visitors to the North Country. An estimated one million visitor interactions in the region a year could be handled by these staff members.

"The workshops help hospitality and tourism employees promote our region's attractions and encourage extended and repeated visits," said Christina Lesyk, the SUNY Canton faculty member responsible for coordinating the non-credit-bearing program. "Additionally, many tourism workers depend upon tips and commissions to supplement basic wages, and this program will deliver a set of skills that can lead to increased sales and better gratuities."

Lesyk is a certified hospitality educator and a certified guest services professional who teaches hospitality management courses at the college.

Enrollment in the new Frontline Sales Support workshop is on now. A complete session schedule is available at www.canton.edu/CREST. For more information and registration, contact the SUNY Canton CREST Center, crest@canton.edu or (315) 386-7229.

The development of the program is funded in part through a grant awarded to the Ogdensburg Bridge and Port Authority by Empire State Development's Division of Tourism and I Love New York (through the Regional Economic Development Council) with the goal of increasing of regional tourism and repeat visitation.