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Based on a conceptual framework drawn from the original SERVQUAL model, the purpose of the paper is to explore the question of which service‐quality dimensions are deemed to be important by inbound tourists visiting a peripheral tourist location in Sweden.

Using questionnaires and interviews, Italian and British tourists visiting a peripheral tourist location in northern Sweden are studied in three phases: before the tourist experience, during the experience, and after return home.

Difference in the tourists' perceptions of the importance of various quality dimensions are identified before and after the tourism experience. Many similarities are identified between the needs and expectations of Italian and British tourists, although some differences also emerge.

Tourism managers should recognise that the needs of their customers can be influenced by: the time at which these needs are assessed; and cultural differences between nationalities.