ChatGPT sent them, Guelph welcomed them: TikTok’s Beaver family tours Guelph

Guelph went viral, thanks to a TikTok video and a little help from ChatGPT. CTV's Hannah Schmidt explains.

It’s not every day a small Ontario city becomes a viral travel destination — but thanks to a viral TikTok video and a little help from ChatGPT, that’s exactly what happened to Guelph.

The Beaver Family — a crew of three from Fayettville, Arkansas, with a growing online following — headed north for a whirlwind tour of the Royal City.

“We extended an invitation to the Beaver family and we were happy that they could come up and meet us,” said Hilary McCann, executive director at destination Marketing Guelph.

The trio touched down in Guelph on the Canada Day long weekend. The idea for the visit started when the family asked ChatGPT to recommend cities similar to their hometown. The AI suggested Guelph, prompting a flurry of comments from Canadians inviting them north — and racking up more than 695,000 views in the process.

Originally scheduled to visit in April, the family postponed their trip after Amy Beaver went to the hospital. Finally after much anticipation, the Beavers got the full Royal City summer experience that included a downtown food tour, local farm visits and a taste of the city’s festivals, markets, architecture and history.

“I think one of the most striking things for me that I’ve just noticed today was really the amount of pride that you have in your community, that people in Guelph really love their community,” said Jeff Beaver.

“[I wanted to] tell them a little bit about some of the agricultural roots of the city, the history as well as it pertains to food specifically, which is very rich and deep,” explained Lynn Broughton of Taste Detours.

For local businesses that were stops in the tour, it was a moment they said they would love to experience all over again.

“We honour it with sincerity and [we’re] happy to see them here and honestly, it’s a big opportunity for our restaurant,” said Anna Morozova, brand manager at Atmosphere Cafe.

The family also met up with Mayor Cam Guthrie and MPP and Green Party leader Mike Schreiner outside city hall at the end of their tour Saturday.

The Beavers say they are happy they got a true taste of what makes Guelph so beloved.

“It’s something that I feel like is also the case in our hometown,” said Emily Beaver. “There is a lot of community engagement, although I would say it seems even stronger here.”

“I think during this sort of precarious time between our two countries, it’s very important to let people know that we are welcoming anybody with open arms to Guelph, to come see all the unique things that Guelph has to offer,” said McCann.

It’s a TikTok tale turned travel dream — a story where social media meets small-town charm and strangers become neighbours for a day.

“I’m going to say go to Guelph,” said Amy Beaver. “I’m loving it here. You should come to Guelph, I’m going to tell all my friends: go to Guelph, go to Guelph.”