Recent travel data indicates that an uncertain economic climate is leading American and global travelers to change their behaviors, including business travel which is projected to decline even further.

But one type of travel has remained stable, one that a local tourism official says Mount Airy tends to attract because of the area’s close proximity to major cities and a variety of events.

“Our visitors are leisure visitors,” Jessica Icenhour, the director of tourism at the Greater Mount Airy Chamber of Commerce, said recently.

According to the Travel Industry Association of America (TIAA), which compiled information related to leisure travelers, people are taking fewer trips and cutting back expenses, and 60 percent plan to drive to their destination.

In 1999, the average person traveled 34 days, and in 2008, people only traveled 13 days.

The TIAA reported that when vacationing, people opted to stay closer to home.

The majority of Mount Airy’s visitors are from North Carolina, with other top states including South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, Georgia, Ohio, Florida, Kentucky, Pennsylvania and West Virginia.

Top visitors’ activities in North Carolina include visiting relatives (36.1 percent), shopping (19.2 percent), or visiting friends (19.2 percent), the North Carolina Department of Commerce, which includes the Division of Tourism, Film and Sports Development, reported. That includes nearly 4 percent of people traveling to attend special events or festivals.

Icenhour said the recent influx of such events, which can include car shows and motorcycles rallies, provide an economic boost to the area.

The city has three car shows and a motorcycle rally planned for the summer, along with other events in the works, Icenhour said.

“Car shows, motorcycle rallies, sporting tournaments and bicycle events are economic engines for Mount Airy and Surry County,” she said. “These type of events are important to our area economically because many of these car shows include visitors who love to travel and show off their wheels.”

Those car shows and motorcycle events taking place include:

n The Silver Ghost Tour, an antique Rolls Royce Car Show, on May 2, which will include about 50 Rolls Royces from 1907-1926 on display in downtown Mount Airy.

n The 2009 Veteran Motor Car Club of America Chrome Glidden Tour Car Show, which Mount Airy will host on June 9 from 11 a.m. to about 2 p.m. The tour is limited to around 100 antique cars, and for those interested in registering preference will be given to cars built from 1935 through 1984.

n The 2009 North Carolina Harley Owners Group, which Mount Airy will also host for the first time Aug. 20-23. More than 2,000 people are estimated to attend for the entire weekend, which is also the 25th anniversary for the H.O.G. associations.

n The Buick Driving Enthusiasts, which will feature 50 to 100 cars with about 100 people in downtown Mount Airy on Sept. 17 from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.

For car lovers, who are also fans of the popular 1960s sitcom “The Andy Griffith Show,” and its timeless town “Mayberry,” Icenhour said Mount Airy will be a one-stop destination for travelers.

“It is a great situation for Mount Airy as visitors who are coming to the area get a taste of Mayberry and are able to experience these wonderful cars,” she said. “It’s basically like a moving attraction that is here that a visitor will get to see once they arrive. (They’ll) have no idea about the wonderful opportunity until the (arrival) — it’s icing on the cake. It’s also a win-win as children and adults enjoy looking at these antique cars, hot rods or modified cars.”

For more information about the events and other activities, visit www.visitmayberry.com or call the Mount Airy Chamber of Commerce and Mount Airy Visitor Center at (800) 948-0949 or 786-6116.

Contact Erin C. Perkins at eperkins@mtairynews.com or 719-1952.