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"While rescheduling has advanced, and if adopted it would mark the largest incremental step forward in federal cannabis reform to date, the fact remains that it is not completed." In late August, Trump departed from his usual stance that cannabis legalization should be left up to each individual state. "The fact that both Republican and Democratic Presidential candidates now support federal cannabis reform increases the probability that federal cannabis legalization is simply a matter of time," said Bernstein analyst Nadine Sarwat, in a recent note. However, while candidate support has boosted the market, Bernstein also noted that growth has been stagnant in the category as it faces macro headwinds. "Despite all the headlines regarding potential federal reform, state-level sales performance is sobering," Sarwat said.

Persons: Kamala Harris, aren't, Harris, Harris's, Jason Wild, Biden, Brady Cobb, Cobb, Emily Paxhia, Donald Trump's, Trump, Bernstein, Nadine Sarwat, Sarwat Organizations: White, Democratic, Toronto Stock Exchange, Drug Enforcement Administration, Poseidon Investment Management, Cannabis ETF, Republican, Democratic Presidential Locations: Washington ,, United States, Florida

Outbound travel from China is set to receive a much-anticipated jolt as "Golden Week" bookings show changes in where and why Chinese people are traveling. While most Golden Week travelers are choosing mid-tier accommodations, growth for five-star hotels in Europe is almost three times higher in Europe than in Asia-Pacific, company data showed. Seeking quiet and concertsAs Chinese tourists continue to move beyond organized sightseeing tours abroad, more are seeking to celebrate Golden Week in off-the-beaten-path locations, especially in Asia and Europe, according to Trip.com's data. In Europe, bookings in Spain rose 260% to the city of Granada and 144% to Seville, according to Trip.com. Hong Kong is expected to welcome as many as 1.2 million mainland Chinese visitors during the coming Golden Week holiday, up 10% from last year, according to the city's Travel Industry Council.

Persons: Trip.com, Oscar Wong, Vietnam —, Ito, John Legend Organizations: National, Alibaba Group, United, United Arab, Goldman Sachs Equity Research, ASEAN, Golden, city's Travel Industry Locations: China, Asia, Pacific, Japan, Hong Kong, South Korea, Australia, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam, Southeast Asia, United States, Chile, Croatia, Belgium, Hungary, Czech Republic, Finland, Norway, Netherlands, United Arab Emirates, Sri Lanka, New Zealand, United Kingdom, France, Spain, Europe, Trip.com, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Tokyo, Kyoto, Yokohama, Phu, Granada, Seville, Golden, . Hong Kong

A couple, who argued with a passenger who reclined her seat, won't be flying with Cathay Pacific ever again. Cathay Pacific has not responded to CNBC's request for comment, but said in the statement that it "sincerely" apologized for the incident. The woman, who narrates parts of the video that was posted on the same platform, said the couple harassed her after she declined to return her seat to the upright position. Eventually, she was moved to another seat, the video showed. However, Cathay Pacific said in its statement that onboard staff had issued two "serious" verbal warnings to the two disruptive passengers.

Persons: Instagram Organizations: Cathay Pacific, London . Cathay, Cathay Locations: Hong Kong, London, London . Cathay Pacific, Cathay Pacific

The WNBA has enjoyed some of the fastest growth a sports league has ever seen, thanks in large part to superstar rookies Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese. But top WNBA players don't yet have the lofty salaries to match. Once the WNBA season is over, Jones plays a second season in Europe, mainly to complement her salary. The money is allocated from the $75 million the WNBA raised in 2022 from a group of investors. Though the WNBA's success has not yet led to the massive salaries seen in men's pro sports, many in the league believe it's only a matter of time.

Persons: Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese, they've, Sportico's, Cathy Engelbert, Brionna Jones, A'ja Wilson, Breanna Stewart, Jones, I'm, Engelbert, Stephanie White, It's, we've Organizations: WNBA, Las Vegas Aces, Seattle Storm, New York Liberty, Disney, Amazon Prime, NBA, Connecticut Sun, The Washington Post, CBA Locations: Europe, The Washington

"Ultimately shirking fiduciary responsibility to employees, consumers, and shareholders." Twenty civil rights organizations sent a letter Thursday to Fortune 1000 companies calling for them to recommit to diversity, equity and inclusion, after several major companies scaled back their efforts. She emphasized that LGBTQ+ consumers have $1.4 trillion of buying power, as reported by the National LGBT Chamber of Commerce. But a small, well-funded, and extreme group of right-wing activists is attempting to pressure companies into abandoning their DEI programs. Abandoning DEI will have long-term consequences on business success -- ultimately shirking fiduciary responsibility to employees, consumers, and shareholders.

Persons: Bill Ackman, Molson Coors, Harley Davidson, George Floyd, Forman, Kelley Robinson, CNBC's, Robinson, Brown, Lowe's, John Deere, Harley, Davidson, Edelman Organizations: National Action Network, Molson, Ford, Tractor Supply, Human Rights, HRC, Brown, National LGBT Chamber of Commerce, Molson Coors, . Tractor Supply, Companies, McKinsey & Company, Pew Locations: New York City, Rural, United States

The percentage is even higher among parents of kids and teens, the survey showed. Trip planning can involve an arduous slog through booking websites, star ratings, travel reviews and fine print — first to find what to book, then to find the best available price. Artificial intelligence is set to change this, with ChatGPT already proving that generative AI can provide itineraries and recommendations in a matter of seconds. But Booking Holdings CEO Glenn Fogel told CNBC Travel he wants to "go beyond" that. And using all the data we have, all we know about our customers, what they may want, trying to start that conversation."

Persons: ChatGPT, Glenn Fogel, Fogel, — Organizations: CNBC Travel Locations: Naples, Italy

Lansky said he was inspired by a discussion he had with a pilot he sat next to on a flight years ago. When the safety demonstration video began, “I noticed he wasn't paying attention to it. “You really need to kind of visualize actually lifting the flap,” Lansky told CNBC Travel. “Oh yes,” a U.S. flight attendant with more than two decades of experience told CNBC Travel. He said he asked flight attendants how many times they bump passengers elbows, knees and feet on long-haul flights.

Persons: ”, Doug Lansky, Lansky, “, ” Lansky, I've, you’re, “ We’ll, they've Organizations: CNBC Travel Locations: U.S

Molson Coors is the latest addition to a growing list of companies reversing their diversity, equity and inclusion policies. Molson Coors will also ensure all corporate charitable giving programs are focused on supporting "core business goals" such as alcohol responsibility, disaster relief efforts and promoting access to higher education. Although conservative activist Robby Starbuck characterized the moves as preemptive changes in response to his probe into the company's DEI practices one week ago, Molson Coors says in its memo that the decision "has been in process since March." Molson Coors' decision comes after a wave of retailers over the summer took a step back in their DEI efforts. Corporate DEI practices received renewed interest in the wake of the murder of George Floyd and the Black Lives Matter protests of 2020, but have struggled in the aftermath of the Supreme Court decision to overturn affirmative action in colleges.

Persons: Molson Coors, Robby Starbuck, Davidson, Lowe's, George Floyd Organizations: Molson, CNBC, Molson Coors, Groups, Business, Tractor Supply, Human Rights, Companies, Harley, Ford Locations: U.S, America

"Our research infers that fliers are doing more research to understand and potentially avoid Boeing aircrafts," she said. "First of all, there are more discount carriers operating Airbus (A320s) than Boeing (737s) particularly in Asia," he said. watch nowThe study is a historical analysis of commercial flight safety, which does not predict how Boeing's issues may play out in the future. But Barnett indicated he's confident about the future of commercial aviation. Why avoiding Boeing is difficultThough competition among airlines is fierce, aircraft manufacturing has long been dominated by the United States' century-old Boeing company and its European competitor, Airbus.

Persons: Danielle Harvey, Brendan Sobie, Arnold Barnett, Barnett Organizations: Boeing, Alaska Airlines, Sobie Aviation, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, of Air Transport Management, MIT, U.S . Federal Aviation Agency, National Transportation Safety Board, European Union, New Zealand, United Arab Emirates, CNBC Travel, Airbus, Airlines, Max Locations: Asia, United States, Europe, Australia, Canada, China, Israel, Japan, New, Bahrain, Bosnia, Brazil, Brunei, Chile, Hong Kong, India, Jordan, Kuwait, Malaysia, Mexico, Philippines, Qatar, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, Alaska

With a plum position atop many "Best Places to Travel" lists, Japan is on track to welcome a record-breaking number of travelers in 2024. Summer trips are up too, with inbound bookings doubling since last summer, a representative from the travel website Trip.com told CNBC Travel. In 2019, China welcomed some 49.1 million travelers — as of July this year, around 17.25 million foreigners had arrived, according to Chinese state media. "The USD/JPY exchange rate [moved] from approximately 140 in January 2024 to over 160 by July 2024, making Japan more affordable," said Chakraborty. But a Pew Research Center report shows that, among 35 surveyed countries, more than half have unfavorable views of China.

Persons: Trip.com, Joydeep Chakraborty, Chakraborty, Jasmine Leung Organizations: National Immigration Administration, CNBC Travel, Japan, Japan Federation of Service & Tourism Industries Workers ' Unions, East Asia, Pew Research Center, France — Locations: Japan, China, Kiyomizu, dera, Kyoto, United States, Germany, United Kingdom, France, Saharan Africa, Asia, Malaysia, Thailand, Australia, South Korea

The World, a luxury liner, has many descriptions, but "cruise ship" is not one of them, said resident Jim Minarik. "The only thing that's similar between the world and a cruise ship is they float on the water," he said. Minarik and his wife bought their apartment in 2020 with plans to spend one to two months a year on the ship. Source: The WorldYet money is not a big topic aboard The World, Minarik said. Wong said that while other companies have tried, The World is still the only ship of its kind.

Persons: Jim Minarik, we're, Minarik, Eddie Wong, Wong, There's, I'd Organizations: CNBC, CNBC Travel Locations: Singapore, Antarctica, French Polynesia, Easter, Amalfi Coast, Australia's Kimberley, Papua New Guinea, Solomon, South America, South Africa, Cape Town, Orange County , California, Africa's, Penola Strait

With revenge travel over and pandemic savings depleted, travelers say they're planning fewer trips this summer, or skipping their vacations altogether. "After two straight years of strong gains, the number of Americans planning to take leisure trips is taking a dip," states a summer travel report from Deloitte Insights. 'Too expensive' to travel nowAmericans are planning 2.3 trips this summer, down from 3.1 trips from the summer of 2023, according to Deloitte's survey of more than 4,000 people. watch nowThe number of people who said they're avoiding summer travel altogether increased from 37% to 42%, the report showed. Those generations are spending less on airfare and hotel accommodations too, said Baig, suggesting a cutback in travel spending may be a normalization of the market following the end of revenge travel.

Persons: they're, Sofia Baig, Gen Zs, Baig, Zs Organizations: Deloitte, Marriott, Wyndham, Morning Locations: Hyatt, Airbnb

Blink Fitness, a budget-friendly gym chain owned by luxury fitness company Equinox Group, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. The fitness brand, with more than 100 centers in the U.S., is the latest chain to seek bankruptcy post-pandemic, following companies such as New York Sports Club, 24 Hour Fitness and Gold's Gym. Earlier this year, Equinox also launched a $40,000 annual gym membership aimed at its most affluent member base in an effort to improve its finances as well. Unlike Blink, Planet Fitness reported strong membership growth of 7% year over year in its second quarter to reach a total of 19.7 million members. Planet Fitness shares recently hit a 52-week high, reaching levels not seen since May 2023.

Persons: Guy Harkless, Blink, — Organizations: Equinox Group, New York Sports Club, CNBC, Fitness, Planet Fitness Locations: U.S

UNESCO's World Heritage Committee named a site in the Gaza Strip — Saint Hilarion Monastery, or Tell Umm Amer — to both its "World Heritage" and "World Heritage In Danger" lists in late July. The decision, made during the 46th session of the World Heritage Committee held in New Delhi, India, reflects the ancient monastery's value and need for protection, according to UNESCO. The Committee inscribed the monastery — one of the oldest sites in the Middle East, according to UNESCO — to both lists using an emergency procedure set forth in the World Heritage Convention. Use of the emergency procedureSimultaneous inscriptions to UNESCO's World Heritage and its "In Danger" lists are rather common, a UNESCO spokesperson told CNBC. Use of UNESCO's emergency procedure fast-tracked Saint Hilarion Monastery/Tell Umm Amer's inclusion onto its World Heritage Lists, a procedure which normally takes at least two years.

Persons: Umm Amer —, Hilarion, Umm Amer, Mohammed Abed, Biden Organizations: Heritage, World Heritage, UNESCO, UNESCO —, Heritage Convention, CNBC Travel, Getty, State Party, United States, CNBC, Workers Locations: Gaza, Hilarion, New Delhi, India, Israel, United States, Palestine, United, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Odesa, Saba, Saint Hilarion

Under the new passport-less immigration program, Singapore residents will not need to show their passports to arrive and depart at air and sea checkpoints. Foreign travelers must also enroll their iris, facial and fingerprint biometrics at manual immigration counters, according to Singapore's Immigration & Checkpoints Authority. However, children under six years old cannot use biometric clearance, or automated lanes at all, to clear immigration, according to authorities. By early 2026, Singapore immigration officials expect 95% of travelers will be able to clear immigration via automated lanes. Biometric processing is expected to reduce immigration wait times by 40%, according to immigration officials.

Persons: Sumesh Patel, SITA Organizations: Changi Airport, Seletar, Bay, Centre Locations: Singapore's, Singapore, Asia, Pacific

Many people consume alcohol to relax and relieve stress, which are some of the top reasons people travel, too. How is sober travel discussed on TikTok? Sentiment in the past year shows that among social media interactions 32% is positive, 38% is neutral and 30% is negative. The ranking, however, isn't a list of countries where alcohol sales are banned — places like Brunei, Saudi Arabia and Iran. Costa Rica ranked high on the list of "sober travel" destinations, in part, because of its outdoor activities and national parks.

Persons: He's, Virgin Mary, Dublin's, Artur Widak, Jordan – Organizations: Airports, CNBC Travel, Virgin, Nurphoto, YouTube, Social, Costa Rica, Siemens, Digitalvision, Getty, UNESCO, Heritage Locations: Koh Samui, Thailand, Brunei, Texas, Asia, United States, United Kingdom, Canada, South Africa, Australia, Saudi Arabia, Iran, U.S, Nepal, Morocco, Costa Rica, Turkey, Greece, Indonesia, Italy, Singapore, India, InsureMyTrip, North America

Was it the Parisians who bluntly told travelers "do not come" to Paris during the Summer Games? London, Athens and Atlanta all saw a drop in summer visitors when they hosted the Summer Games, said Grant. Empty Airbnbs and unsold ticketsHotels, too, are feeling the pinch of Paris' summer slowdown, with occupancy rates expected to drop to 60% in early July, down some 10 points from 2023, according to Paris' tourism board. Airbnb also said "domestic interest" for stays during the Games has never been higher than in the weeks leading up to Paris Games. 'The Olympics is too broad'Last-minute travelers can still snag tickets to the Paris Games.

Persons: —, John Grant, Grant, Rather, They've, OAG's John Grant, Jakub Porzycki, Airbnb Organizations: Olympic Games, France, Summer, Ryanair, Nurphoto, Olympic, Games, Notre Dame, CNBC, Paris Games, Paris, Financial Times Locations: Paris, London, Athens, Atlanta, Delta, Europe, North America, Oceania, Lille

Protests in Spain will spread if European officials fail to address mass tourism's negative effect on the lives of residents, UNESCO's Peter Debrine told "Squawk Box Asia" on Monday. He cited the banning of large cruise ships in Venice, Italy, in 2021 as an example. "Cruise ships are no longer going through the Grand Canal." Cruise ships now dock farther from Venice, which helps the structural and environmental integrity of the city. But travelers also play a role in curbing mass tourism, said Debrine.

Persons: UNESCO's Peter Debrine, Debrine, it's Organizations: Adriatic, Port Authority, Council, CNBC, Barcelona Locations: Spain, Venice, Italy, Barcelona, Debrine, Amsterdam

Airports have many bells and whistles these days. But most travelers would gladly trade them for flights that consistently arrive on time. The passenger rights company AirHelp ranked 239 airports in 69 countries, with an emphasis on the on-time performance of flights operating from May 2023 to April 2024. That measure accounted for 60% of each airport's total score, with on-time performance defined as flights that arrive within 15 minutes of their published arrival times. Passenger opinions of each airport, along with traveler ratings of its food and shops, accounted for the remaining 40% of the score, according to AirHelp's website.

Mass tourism troubles hit fever pitch in Barcelona on Saturday as protesters threw items and sprayed travelers with water guns and canned drinks, while shouting "tourists go home." In 2023, hotel occupancy rates neared 80% in July and August, as the city of 1.6 million people swelled to accommodate more than 4 million visitors, according to the Barcelona City Council. Paco Freire | Sopa Images | Lightrocket | Getty ImagesBut the delicate dance between locals and visitors had spiraled long before that. Two tourists on bicycles being stopped in front of a demonstration against mass tourism in Barcelona on July 6, 2024. Paco Freire | Sopa Images | Lightrocket | Getty Images

Persons: overtourism, Paco Freire, Jaume Collboni, Collboni Organizations: Barcelona City, Associated Press, Barcelona City Council, Barcelona Cruise Port, Getty Locations: Barcelona, Barceloneta, Spain, France

From recent graduates to wealthy professionals, many Brits are considering moving abroad these days. Over half of British workers (52%) have considered leaving the United Kingdom for better working opportunities abroad, according to the British human resources website Employer News. Others are in search of affordable housing and lower taxes, it said, citing research from London-based financial services company Prograd. But contemplating moving abroad, and actually doing it, are very different things, especially for parents, who must consider if the grass is greener abroad — with the whole family in mind. But the United States — often referred to as Britain's "cousin" — comes in dead last in the ranking of 28 countries, dragged down by high childcare costs and long work hours.

Persons: Williams Russell, — Locations: United Kingdom, London, European Union, Portugal, Sweden, Italy, Spain, Finland, United States

With New York's congestion pricing plan indefinitely delayed, traffic into Manhattan this summer is set to be gridlocked as usual. But travelers staying in some of the city's top luxury hotels can avoid the highways altogether. Announced Tuesday, Marriott International Luxury Group is providing free helicopter transfers from John F. Kennedy International Airport and Newark Liberty International Airport from July 1 to Sept. 2. The transfers can reduce transportation time from the airports into Manhattan to as little as five minutes, the company said. The flights, operated by the urban air mobility company Blade, are available for guests staying at least two nights in one of the six Manhattan hotels:The St. Regis New York JW Marriott Essex House New York W New York - Union Square The New York EDITION The Ritz-Carlton New York, NoMad The Luxury Collection Hotel Manhattan MidtownHelicopter transfers land at one of two helipads in Manhattan: Blade Lounge East on East 34th Street or the newer Blade Lounge West on West 30th Street, where a car service waits to drive guests to their hotels.

Persons: John F Organizations: Marriott, Kennedy International Airport, Newark Liberty International Airport, Regis New, Regis New York JW Marriott, Regis New York JW Marriott Essex House, Union, The, Carlton New, Helicopter, East, West Locations: Manhattan, St, Regis, Regis New York, Regis New York JW Marriott Essex, York, Carlton New York

Japan's two largest commercial airlines are toughening their stances against travelers who verbally or physically abuse airline staff. Japan Airlines and All Nippon Airways updated their websites Friday with "customer harassment" policies, in the wake of rising instances of front-line worker abuse occurring across industries in Japan. "This has placed a significant burden on our employees, leading to cases where some have been forced to take leave," she said. Japan Airlines' policy also mandates airline staff to undergo harassment training — employees will be provided manuals detailing how to quickly and appropriately respond to "malicious" behavior. Both airlines' policies state that travelers who harass employers will be issued a warning, after which consequences can include denial of boarding and police involvement.

Persons: ANA's Yoshiko Miyashita Organizations: Japan Airlines, All Nippon Airways, CS, Nikkei Asia Locations: Japan

That's despite respondents from both countries taking the most vacation days — 27 days and 29 days, respectively — in the survey. However, only 53% of Japanese said they feel "vacation deprived" compared to 65% of Americans, it showed. Expedia's report indicates that feeling "vacation deprived" has less to do with the actual time off one takes, and more to do with cultural mores around work and free time. Wasted vacation daysDespite most workers indicating they feel vacation deprived, respondents from nearly every location admitted to letting some of their annual leave lapse. "In 2024, 15% of Hong Kongers plan on taking 31 vacation days, exceeding the average allotted 25.5 days," said Hudson.

Persons: That's, Christie Hudson, Hudson, Hong Kongers, Hong Kong, Hong, Japan aren't Organizations: Expedia Locations: Japan, United States, France, Germany, Hong, Hong Kong

Those are just some of what fans of Disney cruises can expect on board the upcoming Disney Adventure, according to details announced Tuesday by Disney Cruise Line. Like other Disney cruises, Disney Adventure will have characters on board, entertainment based on Disney songs and viewings of its most popular movies. Other Disney cruisesDisney Adventure joins Disney Cruise Line's fleet of five ships, alongside two others — the Disney Treasure and Disney Destiny — that are on the way, according to the release. The AquaDuck water coaster aboard a Disney cruise ship — the Disney Dream — in Nassau, Bahamas. Matt Stroshane | Disney Cruise Line | Getty Images

Persons: Pixar's, Sarah Fox, Matt Stroshane Organizations: Disney, Disney Cruise, Marina Bay Cruise, Pixar, Marvel, Asia, Disney Adventure, Disney Treasure, Getty Locations: Asia, Singapore, Marina, Moana, Caribbean, Europe, Alaska, Mexico, Canada, Hawaii, Pacific, Australia, New Zealand, Nassau, Bahamas

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