“Tourism Development Center” is the first Tajik non-governmental organization, working on tourism development issues in Tajikistan. It was started as a project under the Economic and Business Development program of the Open Society Institute - Assistance Foundation. “TDC” has developed several courses on tourism infrastructure like hotel and restaurant businesses and introduced them into curricula in Tajik universities. Its experts teach tourism related subjects at different universities. The legal group of the center has reviewed the existing Tajik legislation on tourism and implemented several amendments.

Since 2005 the “TDC” has chosen the community based tourism development as an alternative approach in the development of tourism in Tajikistan. Community based tourism not only ensures local, cultural and ecological preservation, but also the social participation of the local community in economic and social development and decision making processes.

“TDC” has developed the first guidebook with the updated tourist information "Welcome to Tajikistan" in three languages (Tajik, Russian and English). In 2009, the Center held a competition on "Haft Ganjinai Tojikiston" ("Seven Treasures of Tajikistan") where seven main attractive tourist objects were selected by the Tajik population via SMS voting.