Majorca and Canary Islands residents have been protesting against the amount of tourists flooding their homes. 

The long-running protests are reaching new heights, with clips going viral after thousands crowded Canary Island streets over the weekend as the summer influx of visitors started.

Travel writer Ash Bhardwaj joined Helen Skelton and Gethin Jones on BBC’s Morning Live on Monday to share an expert view on the unrest and whether Brits will be safe going forward with their holiday plans.

Ash assured viewers that the “vast majority of us are going to have lovely summer holidays” and insisted the protests are “not something to worry about”.

He admitted the situation can cause some irritation and disruption to travel plans but because the demonstrations do not count as “civil unrest” he claimed holidaymakers have no reason to enact extreme measures like cancelling their getaways.

Many of the areas facing these “disruptions” are Europe’s holiday hotspots and Ash noted that although tourism brings a major economic boom to such areas, it has pushed up the cost of rent and property for those calling these places home.

Ash explained that locals are protesting against the impact of the tourism activity in these areas but assured: “It’s only lasting a day or two. It’s not unsafe.

“What it is, is a reminder for all of us to keep in touch with what’s going on in the places that we’re travelling to.”

However, it’s not just civil disturbances threatening international holidays this year but also some natural disasters like wildfires across Turkey, Greece and even the United States.

Ash noted that this poses more of a threat to holiday plans, explaining: “We’re entering wildfire season, which peaks in July and August, and some of these places are seeing temperatures that peak at over 50 degrees Celsius. As a place gets drier and hotter, you’re more likely to get wildfires.

“Over the last five years, 13 per cent of travel insurance claims have been evacuations or related to natural disasters, so this is something that can affect your travel.”