BUFFALO, N.Y. -- After roughly 20 months separated by the border, Canadian citizens began lining up Monday morning to drive into the United States.

At the Peace Bridge in Buffalo, early wait times were up to two hours, shortening later in the day.

"I'm very grateful we finally reached this day. Took a lot longer than we hoped to, but it is an example of what we can do when we work together to try to create a better community for all," Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz said.

U.S. Rep. Brian Higgins has been among those leading the push to reopen the border since early 2021. He said even if many of the initial travelers in Western New York are passing through to other states like Florida, it's still good news.

"They're coming to Buffalo," Higgins said. "They're stopping on their way, and when they stop, they spend. When they spend, they create demand. Where you create demand, you create growth. When you have economic growth, you have prosperity."

In 2019, Canadian travelers spent roughly $21 billion in the United States but Visit Buffalo Niagara President Patrick Kaler says analysts are expecting it will take several years to fully restore the impact.

"Because of our proximity to Canada and the large number of people in Southern Ontario in the GTA, we feel that we have a better opportunity to recover a little bit faster," Kaler said.

However, the Canadian government is still requiring anybody coming into the country, including returning citizens, to provide a negative PCR test taken no more than 72 hours prior. It potentially limits day trips, for instance, to Buffalo Bills or Sabres games or shopping at outlet malls.

Higgins said testing requirements are redundant for the vaccinated.

"Vaccines are free. They're widely available. Tests are expensive, inconvenient and a very unpleasant experience," he said.

Visit Buffalo Niagara is launching a "Reunited and it Feels So Good" Buffalo Loves Canada campaign including overnight stay packages with hotels and advertising in southern Ontario and Erie County. It is also looking at options to make testing more convenient for tourists, should Canada not ease its restrictions.