Rugby tours were always supposed to be the highlight of the season. A chance to unwind, explore strange places, meet new people and drink strange brands of beer.
I remember in 1985 flying with my university team to Bermuda and thinking we were "real men" because we had drunk the plane dry in 4 hours. (This was before air rage had ever been heard of). One week later we realized we were still "boys" as a team of Scottish, Irish and Welsh international players beat our record by 45 minutes.
For the modern professional player, however, the tour can be a necessity rather than a luxury. Rather than long two-month sojourns during which time the players can truly experience the country they are visiting, modern tours are generally in-and-out jobs with little time to do anything but train, play and attend official functions.