The iconic cartoon character Captain Pugwash has been unveiled as the new face of tourist information in Rye. In a technological first in the UK, John Ryan’s creation uses AI to give visitors to the town all they need to know on their mobiles.
The new service was launched on Friday 21 November at the revamped tourist signs across from Rye railway station. The newly designed boards give visitors a map of the town and information about places to visit, along with a QR code which opens up a chat on WhatsApp with Captain Pugwash.
In the chat, users can ask any questions about their visit to Rye, for example restaurant recommendations or advice on any of the town’s many events. To see how it works, scan the QR code at the bottom of the article.
Signs to promote the new service have also been placed in Rye’s car parks, and local businesses are being encouraged to display the QR code.
Rye has been without a tourist information centre since April 2023 when a lack of funds forced its closure. The new service is being paid for by Levelling Up capital funding secured by Rye Chamber of Commerce and facilitated through Rother District Council.
Jane Brook, Rye Chamber Chair, said she was thrilled to be given permission by John Ryan’s estate to use the cartoon pirate. “We wanted our tour guide to be a recognisable character and who better than Pugwash. Working with John Ryan’s daughter, Isabel, to explore the original artwork has been a great privilege and we’re extremely grateful for her enthusiasm for the project.”
Isabel Ryan said she was impressed by the quality of the artwork, both on the boards and online. “They are absolutely beautiful and show my dad’s work to perfection. As well as being very useful for tourists, I hope it will bring back many happy memories of Captain Pugwash from the books and the TV series.”
Captain Pugwash was written and illustrated by Ryer John Ryan from the 1950s. The pirate’s stories aboard his ship The Black Pig were also animated for TV from the 1960s.
Simon Parsons from Rye Heritage Centre was the first to use the new service, asking Captain Pugwash when the centre was open. “I knew it was coming but I had no idea it would be so effective. It’s very good to look at and will definitely draw in people’s attention.”
The innovative new tourist information service uses AI and does not need staff or premises. The team behind the service says the information will always remain current.
“Rye follows New York and Toronto, as well as Greece, Germany and New Zealand in using the technology,” said Ross Borden, CEO of Matador Network. “Not only is Rye the first UK destination we’ve worked with to develop a custom AI tool on the GuideGeek platform, but Rye Chamber is also the first volunteer-run organisation we’ve worked with.”
You can also chat with Captain Pugwash on the newly launched www.visitrye.co.uk website.
Image Credits: Rye Chamber/Isabel Ryan , Rye Chamber , James Stewart .
I remain puzzled why substantial public funds were used for this and why an American company was hired to implement it. Rye has had a very good town app that continues to develop and support the riches Rye has to offer visitors and locals https://www.aryegoodtime.co.uk/ and it seems rather surprising that the developers of the app are not involved in this new ‘facility’ for visitors. In addition, Public Levelling Up funds going to a foreign company certainly cannot be what the government intended.
Thank you for raising these points Paul. It may help to clarify a few things for readers.
The capital levelling up funding we were awarded came with very strict conditions set by central government and RDC. These funds could only be spent on a capital public realm project that met specific criteria. After nearly a year of exploration and advice, this project was the only fully compliant option that avoided significant financial risk to the town and ensured the funding was not lost entirely. This process has happened entirely in the public domain, the decision having been documented in town council minutes, and updated monthly via the Chamber newsletter. We are overseen by RDC in all aspects of project delivery.
This service is not an app, and it does not compete with A Rye Good Time – which we agree is a valuable resource for residents and visitors. The two offer very different things and sit comfortably alongside each other.
Regarding suppliers: the Chamber followed the required procurement process and selected a company based on capability, compliance, cost, and timely delivery – all essential to meet the Levelling Up deadlines.
The project’s sole purpose is to improve the visitor experience in Rye and support local businesses who have felt the absence of a tourism information centre keenly. The early response from both residents and visitors has been extremely encouraging, and we are committed to refining it further based on community feedback.
Hi Paul,
You might find this non-exhaustive brief history of Rye websites / web apps / apps (which have seen a mix of both private and public funding) interesting. The website you refer to has had a rather un-reliable history and has already received public funding previously.
– 1997 – http://www.ryesussex.co.uk Rye’s first town website setup by David Webb who ran a bakery in Market Street; the website was decommissioned when David emigrated to Canada in the early 2000s
– 1998 – http://www.rye-tourism.co.uk (now ryesussex.uk) Rye’s longest running and most visited website / web app setup by a much younger me and taken over by local marketing agency Domain Support Ltd in 2005
– 2003 – http://www.visitrye.co.uk Rye’s first “official” website setup by Trevor Apperly (Marcomm Ltd) in conjunction with Rother District Council overseen by the then town manager Yolanda Leybourne; the website was redirected to http://www.visit1066country.com in 2012
– 2007 – http://www.visit1066country.com originally setup by Hastings Borough Council but now run by 1066 Country Marketing and Rother District Council
– 2008 – http://www.ryeeye.co.uk setup by local web designer Dee Alsey; the website was decommissioned in 2012
– 2011 – http://www.ryeguide.co.uk setup by local accommodation provider Paul King for and on behalf of then Rye Hotel & Caterers Association; the website is now run by Rye Bay Marketing Ltd
– 2012 – http://www.visitryebay.com setup by local accommodation provider Paul King for and on behalf of Rye Bay Marketing Ltd
– 2018 – http://www.aryegoodtime.co.uk website / app setup by Arabella Ansar (funded by public money from Rye Town Council and 1066 Country Marketing); the apps went offline in 2021
– 2025 – http://www.aryegoodtime.co.uk website / app setup by Arabella Ansar re-appears
– 2025 – http://www.visitrye.co.uk website setup by the Rye Chamber of Commerce to host the new Pugwash AI tourist information guide funded with public money
This is as accurate as I remember so feel free to let me know any inaccuracies.
As I know you’re a staunch advocate for nationalisation, I’m surprised (shocked even!) that you’d be so keen to have had even more public funding go to the private organisation you mention!
For the record, the ryesussex.uk website that’s been running for 27 years now has never had (nor asked for or needed) public funding but we battle on providing the service to the 83,000+ unique visitors that it received last month alone.
Olly
I love this new concept and think it’s a great way to communicate to a younger generation, wishing you all the very best and hoping the information is always current.
I have scanned the QR and asked where is good to eat an evening meal. I was amazed at the quick and substantial response. I think this is a great idea, keeping up with the modern world. I think tourists will find this really helpful. Well done with moving with the times