It is quite frustrating when I and many others posted bug report after bug report about this after the release of each consecutive Beta version that still contained this same missing beacon bug. I warned FD that this needed to be fixed before release because the REP HIT alone is a big deal, leave alone not getting paid for what is often hours of investment into completing these bugged missions!
The fact that the player has no way of knowing if the mission is bugged until they are almost done with it, makes this even more annoying and beyond frustrating!
After trying one the other night and coming up against the same missing visitor beacon issue, I have shelved Sightseeing Missions for the duration until Frontier actually treats this as the serious problem that it is!
My advice to everyone considering Sightseeing Missions as a way to make $$$... DON'T! The chances of you getting screwed is well over 75%!