Brokeback Mountain inspires travellers

The Oscar-nominated film Brokeback Mountain has lead to a surge in the number of gay travellers heading out to the American west.

Several holiday agents offering cowboy-themed package holidays targeted specifically at gay and lesbian holidaymakers have reported a surge in sales.

One company says that the film has fuelled demand so much that it's decided to rename its ranch vacation package after the film, while the Associated Press reports that Wyoming Business Council's travel and tourism department has received hundreds of calls asking about the location.

Film-fans searching for the "real" Brokeback Mountain will be disappointed, however. The rock is actually fictional, although supposed to be located near Wyoming's Bighorn Mountains, while the movie itself was filmed in Canada.

Although the film was set in Wyoming, states across the American west have enjoyed a tourism boom, with many gay and lesbian travellers jumping at the chance to spend two weeks herding cattle on a working ranch.

This is not the first time that a popular film has sparked a tourism craze. Wine tours of California have surged in popularity since the release of Sideways, while tours of New Zealand have found a huge market among Lord of the Rings fans.

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