Barbados is hosting the 8th Annual African Diaspora Heritage Trail Conference (ADHT, taking place Sept. 17-19. Government leaders, officials, educators and travel/tourism professionals spanning across the globe will join together to develop a deeper understanding of the world's global ties and highlight the island's unique, cultural roots in the Transatlantic Slave Trade.

This year's conference, coordinated by the Barbados Ministry of Tourism, features the theme “Our Heritage, Our Identity: Uncover, Recover, Discover” and will focus on the development of one unified cross-border cultural heritage initiative to conserve the essence of African descent across global borders. Participants will have the opportunity to experience the Barbados Slave Route Heritage Trail-Freedom Footprints: The Barbados Story, which illustrates Barbados' commitment to preserving the rich histories and heritage of the African Diaspora.

The event, which will be held at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre, is endorsed by the United Nations Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Barbados heritage was recently acknowledged on the world stage as Historic Bridgetown and its Garrison are now included in the UNESCO World Heritage Site list.