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Inès Blal

Dr Inès Blal

Dr Inès Blal

Associate Professor

Expertise

  • Strategic management for the hospitality industry
  • Social entrepreneurship
  • Management in Higher Education

Biography

Dr. Inès Blal is an Associate Professor in hospitality strategy and impact entrepreneurship, specializing in restaurants and small hotels. Her work focuses on food and hospitality ventures and business models that combine economic performance with social impact.

As former Dean of EHL and co-founder of the EHL Institute for Nutrition R&D, she works at the intersection of research, education, and practice on impact-driven hospitality strategies. She collaborates on research projects and advises organizations seeking to design and scale sustainable food and hospitality concepts. She is the curator of the new Impact Hospitality and EHL knowledge platform, which highlights impact-driven hospitality ventures worldwide, and serves on the executive committee of EHLsmile.

Awards

Michael D. Olsen Outstanding Alumnus Award (2018)
EHL Researcher of the Year (2013)
Winner of the Outstanding Doctoral Research Award in the Hospitality Management (2009)

Education

PhD in Strategic Management for the Hospitality Industry, Pamplin Business School, Virginia Polytechnic and State University, Blacksburg, USA
Master's Degree in Hospitality Management, EHL

Courses Taught

BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN INTERNATIONAL HOSPITALITY MANAGEMENT
• Corporate Strategy
• Impact Entrepreneurship

Teaching Location

EHL Campus Lausanne

Journal publications

Blal, I., & Völker, J. (2026). Emotional intelligence & tourism social entrepreneurship. Annals of Tourism Research, 116, 104078. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.annals.2025.104078

Girardin, F., Blal, I., & Lunardo, R. (2023). The role of brand authenticity for higher education institutions. Journal of Marketing for Higher Education, 34(2), 1056–1076. https://doi.org/10.1080/08841241.2023.2172642

Lussi, S., Masset, P., Weisskopf, J.-P., & Blal, I. (2023). Cross-dimensional measures of asset lightness and fee orientation in lodging groups. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 109, 103391. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2022.103391

Völker, J., Blal, I., & Mortillaro, M. (2023). Emotional intelligence matters in hospitality education: contributions of emotional intelligence, fluid ability, and personality to hospitality grades. Frontiers in Psychology, 14, 1148863. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1148863

Das, P., Freybote, J., & Blal, I. (2020). The importance of micro-location for pricing real estate assets: The case of hotels. Journal of Real Estate Portfolio Management, 26(1), 57-73. https://doi.org/10.1080/10835547.2020.1833612

Poretti, C., & Blal, I. (2020). The asset-light strategies and the dividend puzzle: International evidence from the hospitality industry. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 91, 102639. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2020.102639

Blal, I., & Bianchi, G. (2019). The asset light model: A blind spot in hospitality research. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 76, 39-42. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2018.02.021

Heo, C., Blal, I., & Choi, M. (2019). What is happening in Paris? Airbnb, hotels, and the Parisian market: A case study. Tourism Management, 70, 78-88. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2018.04.003

Blal, I., Singal, M., & Templin, J. (2018). Airbnb’s effect on hotel sales growth. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 73, 85-92. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2018.02.006

Blal, I., & Sturman, M. (2014). The differential effects of the quality and quantity of online reviews on hotel room sales. Cornell Hospitality Quarterly, 55(4), 365-375. https://doi.org/10.1177/1938965514533419

Blal, I., & Graf, N. (2013). The discount effect of non-normative physical characteristics on the price of lodging properties. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 34, 413-422. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2012.12.003

Blal, I. (2011). The role of middle management in the execution of expansion strategies: The case of developers' selection of hotel projects. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 30(2), 272-282.