Does the belt always need to be replaced in such cases, even if it looks ok? What about the tensioner?
'05 tC, 129,000 miles when water pump was changed.
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You do not have to necessarily change out the belt, but if it is as old as the vehicle, it could probably stand it. Do not rely solely on how the belt looks. A worn out belt can look just fine. Depending on the type/manufacturer of the belt, it may have cracks in the ribbed section, but be just fine. Looks can be deceiving.
The tensioner isn't required, either. You would only need to change it if it wasn't keeping the belt tight enough to prevent belt slippage. Some tensioners have a arrow which points within a range if it's in good shape. You can use that to help determine its health (if so equipped).
There is a tool to check the belt. To check it, you're looking at the ribbed side to see how worn they are. There's a gauge to do this properly. It looks something like in the following image from The Humble Mechanic website:
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