NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y. --  The Western New York domestic and international travel-related spending did see a major uptick between 2020 and 2021 when the U.S. Canadian border began to reopen.

However, Democratic U.S. Rep. Brian Higgins said it has not yet reached pre-COVID-19 pandemic levels.

"2019 should be the baseline of future growth," Higgins said. "We shouldn't be just trying to get back there. We should try to get back there and exceed it."

Higgins led a roundtable discussion Wednesday at the Aquarium of Niagara with industry leaders to gauge how they're doing and the remaining hurdles. The congressman is the co-chair of the House Northern Border conference.

"I plan to take a lot of the ideas that were expressed here today back to that group and turn it into public policy," he said.

Higgins believes the key to a healthy tourism industry is ease of travel. He's calling on the U.S. and Canada to lift all COVID-related border restrictions including the required use of the ArriveCAN mobile app, which he believes repels travelers who aren't comfortable with the technology.

"This poses a major problem on people that otherwise would take a day trip and they can't be bothered," Higgins said.

A common theme during the round table was even as customers begin to come back, many businesses are struggling to find and retain employees to support them. Destination Niagara USA President John Percy said they need to solve it.

"This industry of course was hit hardest when COVID hit because restaurants were not open, hotels were not open and to save the bottom line many had to do layoffs and permanent layoffs," Percy said.

He said that's one area the industry can work with Congress to find solutions including potentially easier access to work exchange visas so foreign individuals can help fill those gaps. Higgins said he believes some of the problems will solve themselves if more visitors return.

"The workforce will come back Western New York has the hardest working people in America and I think this industry will begin to experience employment gains again so they can all become viable," he said.

They said it is important to present a united voice not just as a Western New York industry but with other northern border communities across the country.