I agree completely, I personally dont get why you would want your tourer set up very much differently than a bike you ride unloaded.
I find that whether loaded or unloaded, I instinctively put out the effort that is my comfortable "cruising" speed. Meaning I am going at it so that I have a nice balance of hand weight, butt weight, leg output that I can keep up comfortabley for quite awhile. If I ride with someone who is a lot slower than me, it is uncomfortable, more weight on hands, on bum.

Yes, as I commute I am sprinting here and there, or going fast just for fun, which I wouldnt do on a day ride that much, but really, a bikes "cockpit" setup works or it doesnt, and when I ride unloaded, I tend not to "take it overly easy".
Just as when touring, even if I am going slowly, I am working at least if not usually harder than when I ride unloaded-so a proper cockpit setup for fairly stenuous, regular output is just as important (if not more even I would say, given how much fricken work it is pushing a loaded or semi loaded bike up hills)

I am not a "racer" but a quickish "sport rider" if you want to put a term to it. I enjoy being close to my comfortable max output for a long period, and a proper bar setup is important for that, whether its at 30k per hour unloaded or 15kph or 10kph with a heavy bike.

thats my take on it anyways

ps, even if I am working hard and even going "fast", we are talking bike speeds here, and I find I enjoy the view just as much fast or slow (but then I am not a "heads down,totally hammering it" all ride, sort of rider anyway in general)