Black Queens Cause ‘Financial Loss’ To Travel & Tours Operator

African Origin Travels and Sports Tourism, Kenpong Travel and Tours, Travel Matters Ltd and Litina Travel have been left licking their wounds after the Black Queens failed to book a place in next year’s FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada. These mentioned travel & tour operators played various roles in sending fans to Brazil during the 2014 FIFA World Cup and were hoping to do same for next year’s Women’s World Cup in Canada but with Ghana failing to be part of the top three nations from Africa to participate at the FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada next year, dreams of sending fans to support the Black Queens have been shuttered.

Had the Black Queens qualified for the tourney, these leading tour operators would have rolled out mouth-watering packages to send fans to support the Black Queens in Canada through enormous newspaper, radio and TV commercials. Obviously, these fans [prospective clients] would have been the cash-cows for most of the travel & tour operators but with the Black Queens failing to qualify, the tour operators will have to do more than convince the Canadian Embassy in Accra as to why Ghanaian football fans MUST be issued visas to watch the 2015 FIFA World Cup in Canada; especially when numerous applicants seeking visas from the Canadian embassy to cheer Ghana’s Black Princesses at the FIFA Women’s Under-20 Championship were blatantly denied several weeks ago.

A spokesperson of one of a prominent Travel company said: “As [tour] operators, we had already made provisions to send [fans] for the tournament [next year] because we knew the Black Queens would qualify. But as you are aware, that didn't [happen] but we will still try and send fans to support the African teams. Looking at the way the Canadian Embassy turned down most of our prospective travellers’ Visa applications for the Women’s U-20 World Cup with no genuine reasons, we doubt whether they will grants visas especially when the Black Queens failed to qualify but nevertheless, we will put in an effort and see what happens. But I must admit that, the Black Queens have really disappointed us [tour operators]. ”

Cameroon and Nigeria have won through to the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup after the pair edged tough semi-final wins over Côte d'Ivoire and South Africa respectively, with the latter pair left to fight for one remaining Canada 2015 berth on Saturday.