(CNN) -- We knew even while researching Tuesday's feature on the global impact of Chinese tourism that the story was likely to generate strong reactions among readers. After all, in a matter of just a decade or so, Chinese tourists have gone from being relatively rare outside of Asia to becoming the most important market in global tourism, surpassing American and German travelers in 2012 as the world's top international spenders, with a record $102 billion shelled out on the road. Chinese travelers the world's biggest spenders But even we were taken aback by the intensity of the emotions -- often thoughtful, sometimes ugly, always illuminating -- the story elicited among our global readership. (Per CNN policy, we've been monitoring and removing the explicitly hateful and threatening comments from the site.)
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Chinese international tourists spent $102 billion on the road last year
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Around the world, Chinese tourists inspire varied reactions
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Stereotypes prevail, with commenters picking up on habits, good and bad
Most of the rude behaviors described in this article could just as easily be attributed to @placeholder tourists; demanding services that aren't offered, expecting meal times to be extended far beyond reasonable hours, the expectation that their cash-flashing would give them extra entitlements, etc.