I think genre writers can have more success with book tours. I think the fan base is more loyal and more likely to want to meet their favorite author.I also think a lot of people who write scifi seem to be technologically illiterate. It's amazing how many sci authors that sell well don't have a proper website.
In the 21st century, there are many more ways to electronically market a book. There are also more ways to publish a book: traditional paper, POD, audio, podcast, and e-book. Just because you have a new electronic media doesn't mean you shun the rest of it.
The same can be true for marketing. Just because you have newer means for marketing, doesn't mean you shun the older means. You do both. For example, you have your website, you have your facebook/myspace account, you can podcast your first chapter, you can network with the bloggers and see if they'll mention your book, you can write short stories that occur in the same universe as your book and either try to sell them, or put them up for free on your website.
There are many ways to market, but that doesn't mean you give up going on tours and going to the cons. It just means you have more ways to market yourself. And as competitive as the market is now, you should do as much as you can to market your work.
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