 Canterbury district retains approximately 4 @,@ 761 businesses , up to 60 @,@ 000 full and part @-@ time employees and was worth £ 1 @.@ 3 billion in 2001 . This makes the district the second largest economy in Kent . Unemployment in the city has dropped significantly since 2001 owing to the opening of the Whitefriars shopping complex which introduced thousands of job opportunities . In April 2008 , the Archbishop of Canterbury , Dr. Rowan Williams , controversially made a strong speech arguing that salary caps should be implemented to curb the pay of the rich in an attempt to manage the growth of the economy . The city 's economy benefits mainly from significant economic projects such as the Canterbury Enterprise Hub , Lakesview International Business Park and the Whitefriars retail development . Tourism contributes £ 258m to the Canterbury economy and has been a " cornerstone of the local economy " for a number of years ; Canterbury Cathedral alone generates over one million visitors a year . Canterbury has a high per capita GDP , it is higher than the Kent average of $ 42 @,@ 500 at $ 51 @,@ 900 making it one of the wealthiest towns in the South East . The registered unemployment rate as of September 2011 stands at 5 @.@ 7 % . 
