Driving Success with PEI Car Rental & PEI Coach Charters

A Journey from Turkey to the Island Roads

Tolga Toprak had been in the business of hospitality in his homeland, Turkey, decades before his family’s decision to relocate to Canada. “My wife, Ozlem, and I still have companies running in Turkey,” he says. They started their business with a travel agency – Akustik Tourism Centre – in 1998 and have since added other related businesses such as a restaurant, a car rental service, and a yacht charter to an already impressive portfolio

Despite the happiness and success Tolga and his family enjoyed while they lived in Turkey –  the fifth most visited country in the world with countless United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritagesites, and borders falling between Europe and Asia – he yearned to explore North America. Tolga, Ozlem, and their two children arrived in Canada in 2016 and lived in the bustling city of Vancouver, British Columbia for one year as atrial run. “We wanted to see what our lives in Canada would look like but also make sure that we would still be able to run our businesses in Turkey,” he says.

The family enjoyed being in Canada, decided to put down roots, and began to consider options for making the move permanent. With their extensive background in the tourism industry, Prince Edward Island was an obvious choice. “We got in touch with Innovation PEI and they helped us as we applied for permanent residency through the business stream,” Tolga says.

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Growing PEI Car Rental Through Trust and Reliability

Weeks after they received approval for permanent residency in 2017, Tolga and Ozlem established PEI Car Rental, resuming their journey in business on Island shores. PEI Car Rental is an independent, locally owned and operated car rental service and Tolga sees this as their unique selling point. “In the beginning, some people worried that we would not survive competition with the big guys. But we believed that if we added a personal touch to the services we offer to our clients and were reliable, word of mouth would help us succeed,” he says. Their first office was at the Delta Hotels by Marriott in downtown Charlottetown and they still maintain that location although the business has since grown. “This will be our 8th season in the car rental business and we have not looked back. We have 120 units in-house andwill be adding 40 more units this year,” he says.

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Driving Growth with the Launch of PEI Coach Charters

Tolga sees the potential for the one million guests PEI receives annually to increase as tourists from across the world come to know PEI’s unique offerings. “It is a colourful place for people to come and see. I believe there is still potential for PEI to grow in renown as a tourism destination because of the diverse appeals in terms of landscape, culinary experiences, and the arts,” he says. In response to customer needs, Tolga and Ozlem are opening up a new division dealing exclusively with charters. “We arestarting PEI Coach Charters with minivans and coaches to accommodate clients who need bigger vehicles to take them to and from weddings, school trips, corporate events, or tours in safety and comfort,” he says.

The Courage to Start Over and the Power of Community

Reflecting on the journey so far, Tolga says that immigrants who forge new paths in distant lands are brave. “It is hard to understand if you have never done it. You shut the doors to your home, leave behind your father, mother, successes, stories, memories and take a leap of faith. It is a big question mark because there are no guarantees. That’s why the support organisations like PEI Connectors offer to immigrant business owners like me is so important,” he says.