The Decline of the Simultaneous Interpretation Profession in the Dominican Republic
Interpretation for ITU World Forum in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic

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The Dominican Republic meetings Industry is one of the largest and most successful in the region.  With international convention centers in Santo Domingo, Punta Cana, Cap Cana, Santiago, Bavaro, Samana and Puerto Plata. 

If you are planning a meeting or conference, you have come to the right place, the Dominican Republic.  No other destination in the region comes close to having everything in one single place.

The DR is the country with the largest and most diverse tourism industry in the region, growing at an average rate of more than 10% per year over the last two decades, and reaching 10 million visitors in December 2023.   But it stands out mainly for the warmth of its climate and the hospitality of its people. It has more than 1,600 km of coastline and 400 km of the best white sand beaches in the world.  Its culture and history are unparalleled, with infrastructure built 500 years ago, including the First Cathedral, the First Court House, The First University, the First Fortress, the First Street of the New World.

Hotel infrastructure that exceeds over 80 thousand rooms of numerous hotel chains, distributed in the different provinces and/or cities. The main ones are: Santo Domingo, Santiago, Puerto Plata, Samana, La Romana, Punta Cana and Cap Cana. All interconnected by vast and modern highways that will take you anywhere and everywhere in a very short period.

Modern meeting rooms, with capacities ranging from 10 to 5,000 people, equipped with state-of-the-art lighting and audio-visual equipment. A variety of spaces, both outdoors and indoors, in unique locations from beaches, colonial towns, impressive natural sceneries, to modern infrastructure, that will allow the design of extraordinary events with multiple capacities.

Having said this, many unprofessional interpretation services and companies with obsolete and poorly maintained interpretation equipment have proliferated post pandemic just waiting to ruin your international conference or meeting and make you look bad with your audience and speakers.  This is occurring more and more, even at the most prestigious 5 Star resorts. Not everybody who speaks a second or third language can be an interpreter.  Speaking a second language is like having a piano at home. It does not make you a pianist.  Allowing third parties like audiovisual equipment companies, government agencies or hotel sales departments choose your simultaneous interpretation providers will benefit only the middleman but get you only cheap, unprofessional, uncultured “interpreters” who will not be capable of rising to the level of your speakers.  Instead, they will make your speakers descend to their level. After all, these are not professional interpreters, so they have nothing to lose. 

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