Geospatial cognition is an important theme in the field of geo-information science and the study on it has sprung up since last century.In 1995

the report of Advancing Geographic Information Science was published.It put forward three important study fields

including the geospatial cognitive mode

geography concept mathematical method

geo-information and social study.In 2001

the geospatial cognition as a preferential sustaining project was supported by the committee of national natural science fund in China.Based on similar studies both at home and abroad and theories of geo-information science

psychology and tourists’ behavior

its study system has been shaped.The paper discusses the basic process and characteristics of tourists’ geospatial cognition

as well as the effect of tourist’ spatial cognition based on different geospatial forms.It aims to solve study difficulties of tourist’ cognition and tries to build the cognitive mode.In practice

the paper aims to help expression of geo-information

tourism resource development

tourism planning

products and design of traveling routes and tourism marketing.The data of this study came from field research about cross-bound tourists & domestic tourists in 1997—2005.The field research included what cognitive results of tourists was influenced by forms of different geospatial information and which was the emphasis of geospatial cognition.6353 questionnaires were totally obtained.Through statistical method and theory analysis

the research shows that the tourist’ geospatial cognition is mainly focused on the spatial characteristics perception

the spatial object cognition and the spatial pattern cognition

especially in distance cognition

direction cognition

scenic areas cognition and geospatial patterns cognition.The geospatial cognition takes place in cognitive space.As special group of people

tourists have different geospatial cognition compared with other people.The spatial characteristics perception is affected by tourism and geography environment.The spatial object cognition of tourists is determined by tourism elements

such as hotel

restaurant

traffic

shopping

amusement;Tourists pay more attention to cognitive distance.So the distance cognition is mainly determined by time;Tourists cognitive direction by the mode of typical land mark and different topological relation.The cognition of scenic areas is mainly based on tourists’ psychological image.Long-distance tourists make decisions according to the mode of the cultural difference

whereas medium and short distance tourists adopt the mode of functional difference.The cognition of tourist geospatial patterns is an integration of tourism functional features

spatial objects and perception of regional geographical features.Our current goal is to develop a geospatial cognitive mode of tourists.It can be used for expression of geo-information and design of tourism routes.A key aspect of this work is the field research and geospatial cognition type of tourists.The geospatial cognitive mode built

but the mode frame needs to be increased further.Other methods would be used for different tourists.