ET welcome: Kentucky city beams message into space inviting extraterrestrial visitors

LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — A Kentucky city has come up with an out-of-this-world campaign to promote tourism. The Lexington Convention and Visitors Bureau used an infrared laser to beam a message into space to invite extraterrestrial travelers. The message begins by describing the “lush green countryside,” famous bluegrass, horse farms and bourbon before suggesting places to stay and eat and shop. The agency said in a statement this month that the idea for the campaign came from recent UFO revelations and advances in deep space imaging that have fueled the belief that we are not alone in the universe. They say it could take 80 years to get a response, so earthly visitors are invited in the meantime.