Boosting numbers of Japanese and New Zealand tourists will be a key aim of Gold Coast Tourism (GCT) this year.GCT, which has a five-year agreement with the Gold Coast City Council, said tourism remained the region's key economic driver, with some 19 per cent of all Gold Coast jobs involved in the industry."Last year according to official Tourism Research Australia statistics the Gold Coast received an extra 247,000 visitors and increased visitor expenditure by $315 million," GCT chairman Paul Donovan said in a statement."The business of attracting tourists is expensive and we do realise we have an obligation to get the greatest return on investment."Mr Donovan said it was part of the plan to quickly identify areas which were not performing, including the smaller than expected markets of Japan and New Zealand."We have practical plans to overturn the underperformance, that is simply the business we are in," he said.This year's plan addresses boosting corporate partnerships, driving the region's international appeal and developing a stronger marketing campaign. AAP