RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s tourism minister has taken part in the G20 Tourism Ministerial Meeting in Goa, India. Ahmed Al-Khateeb told the meeting that the Kingdom supported India’s “Goa Tourism Plan” to sustainably grow tourism industries. He said the plan was consistent with the Kingdom’s tourism strategy, the Saudi Press Agency reported. He said that Saudi Arabia was a pioneer in tourism, with 7.8 million people visiting the country in the first quarter of 2023, up 64 percent on the same period in 2019. The meeting was held under the slogan “One Earth, One Family, One Future.” The ministers discussed progress made at the 4th G20 Tourism Working Group Meeting, which coincided with the ministerial meeting. They also reviewed the five key priorities for strengthening international cooperation in tourism. Al-Khateeb invited his G20 counterparts to the World Tourism Day celebrations hosted by Saudi Arabia on Sept. 28. The minister also had a number of meetings with the heads of the attending delegations to discuss further cooperation and exchange experiences.