My main objective in photography is to take photos of the many moments in life that we can looked back and cherish, therfore I believe being in the shot matters alot, this is especially so in travel. Most of the time, I take potraits of my wife or family members, but me being missing in the photos makes it rather incomplete. Just imagine you take a photo of eiffel tower, and you are not in it. In some ways, being in it not only shows that you actually been there, it also captures your emotions.
But I dont really like letting strangers handle my SLR as they may not be familiar with its functions, composition and framing. Thats why I got a travel tripod (Manfrotto) as well as a remote control. It has served me well in taking great potraits as well as landscape shots with us in the foreground.