Tourists
Unlike the Empire, the Federation does not require constant obedience and unending servitude. They have a concept known as "leisure time." I have even heard the archaic Terran term "weekends", based upon an old calendar system by which two out of every seven days (an incredible 28.571429% deduction) could be spent at a person's discretion, with only the remaining five spent in performance of duties - and this does not include additional "holidays", vacation, sick leave, and so on. Of course, modern duty in the Federation's Star Fleet is not so spendthrift with time; but even so, there is time enough for the pursuit of "hobbies", and to take trips and act as "tourists" in the exploration of remote locales. I have found that some humans even take trips to the planet Vulcan, for no other reason than for casual exploration and personal enjoyment. I have even seen one of their "brochures", a pamphlet expounding upon the virtues of various vacation sites…
Some assume that Vulcans, with their rejection of emotion and reliance upon logic, do not appreciate beauty. This is easily disproved by examining their architecture and visiting their museums. Terrans have a saying that "beauty is in the eye of the beholder." It cannot be denied that beauty can be found upon Vulcan, by these with the inclination to judge according to those standards. Perhaps a better word would be "elegance," for the logical simplicity of form meeting function… "aesthetic" for common or complemetary designs which merge separate buildings into a fluid whole without eradicating the individual identity of each… "enlightening" for the creation of works of art which have an effect upon the mind and senses, which educate, aid in meditation, or send the viewer's mind down new paths...
The planet itself seems to rage in its nature, demanding an effort of lifestyle from those occupying her; that the peoples that do live there could create such aesthetically pleasing forms that flow with the character and essence of the planet is a beauty in and of itself. Form and function are enviable, desirable qualities; but the lines of Vulcan architecture belie the logical use of space. A cube is far more practical in storage and form, and yet Vulcan cityscapes consist of sloping curves and a general lack of corners.
This excerpt is indicative of the style of these "brochures". I am forced to ponder in regards to the sort of person who would write such text, and must conclude that the less days of the "week" in which they spent working their craft, the better. Still, the result of all this is that thousands of humans spend time "exploring" Vulcan, with several dozen present on-planet at any given time. I find their company and conversation more interesting than I do that of the Vulcans of this universe, particularly after spending entire days working with them at the Vulcan Science Academy. The humans I interact with, however, are never quite sure what to make of me. If nothing else, I am teaching them to rely less upon stereotypes.