Extreme sports are one thing, but now more serious thrill-seekers are actually paying to be kidnapped without warning. The French company Ultime Réalité provides three main services: 'Kidnapping,' 'Manhunt' and 'Go-Fast Adventure.'
Those paying for the kidnapping services are abducted unaware, and then subsequently bound, gagged and imprisoned from four to ten hours, with extra options including ransom, escapes and helicopter chases. (No mention of torture, but I'd assume that sort of thing doesn't look good in the brochure.)
The 'Manhunt' package includes the option of playing the role of the hunter or prey, and can last one or two days, while the Go-Fast Adventure carries less connotations of danger but the same amount of illegality: participants take the role of a drug dealer smuggling cargo on the high seas.
To top it off, the company recently added an "extreme" package (as if the other services weren't extreme enough!), which, according to Springwise, involves waking up on an autopsy table in a morgue, surrounded by corpses and body bags.
Full Service Abductions
Extreme Thrill-Seekers are Paying to Be Kidnapped
Trend Themes
1. Extreme Thrill-seeking Experiences - Opportunity to create extreme thrill-seeking activities that simulate dangerous situations, such as kidnapping and manhunts.
2. Immersive Adventure Tourism - Growing demand for experiential tourism that offers immersive and adrenaline-pumping activities like go-fast adventures and drug smuggling simulations.
3. Extreme Escapes and Survival Experiences - Rising interest in escape rooms and survival experiences that test participants' skills, creativity, and problem-solving abilities in high-stakes scenarios.
Industry Implications
1. Adventure Tourism - Adventure tourism industry can expand by offering extreme and immersive experiences that cater to thrill-seekers seeking unique and adrenaline-pumping activities.
2. Entertainment - Entertainment industry can explore the market potential of creating simulated and interactive experiences that provide extreme thrills and cater to the growing demand for immersive entertainment.
3. Experiential Events - Experiential events industry can develop unique and intense experiences that challenge participants mentally and physically, providing them with a sense of adventure and adrenaline rush.