Interest in climbing Mount Kilimanjaro has soared more than 1,000%, according to Responsibletravel.com, following the attention surrounding Comic Relief’s celebrity team tackling Africa's highest mountain.

Responsibletravel said enquiries for its Kilimanjaro holidays during the first two weeks of March rocketed to 12 times their levels of last year on the back of interest in Comic Relief’s nine-strong celebrity team.

The team included singers Cheryl Cole, Kimberley Walsh, Alesha Dixon, Ronan Keating and Gary Barlow, actress Denise van Outen, and TV and radio presenters Ben Shephard, Fearne Cotton and Chris Moyles.

The operator's most popular day for enquiries was March 12, when the documentary following the celebrities’ journey up the Tanzanian mountain aired on TV.

Justin Francis, managing director of Responsibletravel, said: “It's great to see this increase in interest surrounding trips to Kilimanjaro. Tanzania is a fantastic destination with so much to offer. As well as having the highest mountain in Africa it has beautiful coastlines and incredible game reserves.

“It is also one of the world's poorest nations. Tourism is an important revenue earner for the country so it's important to ensure as much of the money from your trip as possible remains in the destination.

"My advice for those inspired to climb Kilimanjaro would be to choose an organisation that truly benefits local communities and local projects, and one that has high standards when it comes to porter welfare.”

Responsibletravel features 22 trips to climb Kilimanjaro, including one for Charity Challenge, the company that organised the Comic Relief Climb.