Shayan Lallani is a historian of tourism and globalization, specializing in the cultural history of the US-Caribbean cruise industry. His research explores how the rise of the mass-market cruise industry has shaped cultural exchange and economic relationships between the United States and the Caribbean. He examines the historical impact of tourism on local communities, its role in reinforcing global power structures, and the ways in which cultural identities are negotiated within these transnational spaces. His work has appeared in Globalizations, Journal of Tourism History, Food, Culture & Society, and Games & Culture.
Currently, Shayan is working on a book project under contract with the University of Illinois Press that explores how mass-market cruise lines have shaped travelers’ encounters with the Caribbean. The project focuses on how the design of ships and ports catered to the tastes of an expanding American middle class, reinforcing Eurocentric views of global cultures. Over time, these strategies evolved, with culturally and geographically themed onboard venues becoming essential tools for keeping passenger spending within the cruise industry—often at the expense of Caribbean communities.
Shayan Lallani, PhD 