Any tourist can pop down to the local flying club for a "trial lesson" without a medical/slightest interest in a licence, so why can't someone with aspirations on a PPL etc do the same?
And indeed any PPL holder can pop down to the local flying club whilst on holiday and rent a plane and an instructor for what is legally a flying lesson but in fact is a joy ride - couple of kids in the back, and let the instructor do the boring foreign radio and do the nav for you, you just fly and look out of the window.