BRACE YOURSELF FOR the publicity surrounding the new James Bond flick, Skyfall, coming to an advertising medium near you. Having already scored a major coup at the Olympics this summer, interest in the forthcoming instalment is at fever pitch, which is why UK tourism authorities are capitalising on it with a secret agent competition.
Agent-UK, launched by Visit Britain ( visitbritain.com), invites players to become online secret agents, solving cryptic clues based in various parts of the country that lead to the location of a rogue agent.
Targeting Visit Britain’s Facebook, Twitter and email subscribers, the game gives users a series of missions, with each successful task unlocking the next stage of the game. The winner bags return flights to Britain, a three-night luxury hotel stay, a trip in an Aston Martin, designer luggage and tickets to the city’s top attractions. Even if you don’t win, you can still be a secret agent for a day.
Lastminute.comis offering the perfect day out, at a secret location, which includes training on how to conduct surveillance operations, the firing of various (replica) weapons, information on how to deactivate bombs, lessons in knife-wielding, axe-throwing, safe-cracking and unarmed combat.
For £225 (€279), learn valuable life skills such as how to jump from a speeding car – and roll with aplomb. Driving is a big part of the day, including laps round a stadium with rollers attached to the car so you can skid to your heart’s content, carry out handbrake turns and learn anti-ambush drills.
Handy if you’re ambushed by a traffic jam on the way home.