Peru's tourism industry will take a hit from the 2014 Brazil World Cup, as it diverts travelers away from the small Andean nation and towards the South American giant, a top official predicted Wednesday.

The president of the Lima Convention Bureau, Carlos Canales, said the dates of the World Cup, which begins June 12 and concludes July 13, coincides with Peru's high season, when hotels, airlines and tour operators traditionally see their biggest earnings of the year.

Canales also complained that the World Cup has led to higher regional airfares, as soccer fans from Asia, Europe and the United States hike up demand for flights to South America and Brazil.

Peru doesn't have direct air connections with those markets, meaning the few long-distance flights available will be snapped up by Brazil-bound passengers, leaving travelers headed to Peru with fewer options, said Canales.

The outcome will be lower tourism levels for a country that already saw a 5 percent dip in tourist numbers during the first quarter of 2014, due to several factors, including the powerful earthquake that rocked neighboring Chile on April 1.

Last year, Peru's tourism sector drew 3.2 million visitors, including 270,000 in October of 2013, in what was one of the highest monthly figures ever, according to the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Tourism.