Pamir Eco-Cultural Tourism Association (PECTA) was established in 2008 with the support of the Mountain Societies Development Support Programme (MSDSP), a project of the Aga Khan Foundation. It aims to help alleviate poverty in a way that is not only effective, but also sustainable. It is doing this by promoting the region as a new tourism destination. It is also supporting local people in the remote mountain villages of Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Oblast (GBAO) by helping them develop skill sets that are building the tourism sector. Currently, PECTA has 22 members: 14 tour operators and 8 service providers. Additionally, PECTA is working with other tour-operators, service providers, homestays owners, drivers, guides, porters and other relevant sectors in GBAO. Of the +150 homestays that are operating in GBAO today, about 90% of owners are women, all of whom are generating additional income for their families from this new type of business.

The Pamir Mountains of Tajikistan won 1^st place for the ITB Berlin 2018 Sustainable Top 100 Destination Awards, Best of Asia-Pacific category.